moko
8th February 2004, 08:22
Best-seller all over Europe recently dropped because like just about every other non-fuel-injected bike it fails European emission laws.Not sure if you have them in N.Z so a brief description.Basically it`s a 600 Thundercat sportsbike motor in a traditional road bike frame,up-right bars and a snub-nosed half-fairing.It`s not pretty but is generally accepted to be one of the most adaptable machines sold here.It`ll keep up with most 600 sportsbikes,you can tour on it,commute,it`s cheap to run and most of all it`s fun.First comments from the press when the Fazer was launched back in 98 were how ugly the thing was,and they`ve got a point,then when they actually rode the thing the legend was born.The motor`s a real beaut,torquey for a 600/4,excellent handling once you`ve bumped up the suspension all round and best yet it has the same brakes as the R1,until recently the best standard brake set-up you could get. Apart from a few minor changes the Fazer carried on until 2003 and still only the Honda Hornet came close after a major re-vamp.Despite beginning to show it`s age the Fazer stayed a best-seller even when it`s end was announced and already there are those calling it a classic.It`s replacement is more modern-looking and has the R6 motor,a good bike but being dragged down by the rep of the old bike,it`s peakier and pretty gutless in the mid-range which is where the older Fazer really kicks the competitions butt.Got to be ultimate N.Z. bike if sports bikes give you a bad back or you want something that you can comfortably commute on as well,stick some Bridgestone 020`s on it,go for a later version with adjustable front suspension and you`ve got yourself a real street sleeper.Best sign of how good they are is that the price guide the dealers use says that a Fazer in good condition is pretty much depreciation proof.Only downside to that is that Yamahas and British weather aren`t a good mix and road salt makes a mess of all that ally.Plus the paint on the engine falls off and can look messy after a couple of years,hopefully Yamahas claim to have greatly improved this on the new bike will prove to be true.